Written by

Anthony Kuehn

Detroit Free Press Special Writer

Anthony Kuehn is the editor of the Detroit Lions blog Lions Gab . His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. Get in touch with Anthony at lionsgab@gmail.com or on Twitter @lionsgab.

In the second part of my position-by-position breakdown of the 2013 Lions, I will look at the backfield. The Lions consistently have struggled to develop a running game since James Stewart replaced Barry Sanders. They had brief glimpses of promise with Kevin Jones, Kevin Smith and Jahvid Best, but all three had injury issues impact their careers.

The Lions targeted Reggie Bush from the outset of free agency this year and also drafted Theo Riddick and signed Montell Owens and Steven Miller. The holdovers from last year are fewer in number but higher on the depth chart: Mikel Leshoure and Joique Bell. Shaun Chapas finished last season as the lone fullback on the active roster.

The Lions envisioned a 60-40 carries split between Best and Leshoure before Leshoure tore his Achilles and Best suffered two concussions in 2011. Leshoure had a decent season as the primary ball carrier last year, but it was clear he was missing the burst and explosion he had prior to the injury.

As a result, Bell got more time as the season wore on and proved himself a very capable back. He was a strong runner between the tackles and had a knack for making plays in the passing game. Unfortunately, he also had a knack for putting the ball on the ground, which started to limit his opportunities.

The Lions will be counting on the two of them to split the carries that don’t go to Bush in 2013. I anticipate that Bush will be a bigger part of the offense than Best was going to be, primarily because he is a better inside runner. Bush carried the load the last two seasons for the Miami Dolphins. The Lions may use Bush in the backfield with Leshoure and/or Bell, but I wouldn’t expect it to be a big part of their offense.

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Bush, Leshoure and Bell are locks for roster spots, barring something unexpected. The Lions ended the 2012 season with five backs on the roster, counting Chapas and Stefan Logan, who was mainly a return man.

The Lions rarely use a fullback — a decision I do not agree with — so I’m not sure whether Chapas will have a place on the roster. I think it’s more likely that rookie tight end Michael Williams will be used as an H-Back, and Owens could play fullback in spots.

Riddick more than likely will get the fourth spot, and I think Owens will have the best opportunity to lock down the fifth. Owens can carry the ball, has played fullback and is a core special teams player. His versatility and veteran presence give the Lions the flexibility they covet in backups.

The odd man out could be Miller, an undersized but quick undrafted rookie free agent. Miller will have to prove himself to be more than just a kick returner to make the roster, unless he’s a true difference maker in the preseason.

The Lions’ struggles in the running game the last few years haven’t been just about the running backs, either. The offensive line has been a very good pass-blocking unit but has lacked cohesion in run blocking. Jeff Backus was one of the better run-blocking left tackles over the course of his career, but he was terrible as a run blocker last year. Stephen Peterman struggled the last two years but was pretty solid a few years back. Rob Sims is the Lions’ most consistent interior lineman and took a big step forward as a run blocker last year, after putting on some weight. Dominic Raiola has never been a great point-of-attack run blocker, but he improved last year. And as Gosder Cherilus improved as a pass blocker, his run blocking took steps back.

This season, the Lions have reshuffled their line and might have some issues as they get three new starters into the mix. However, the players that are replacing Backus, Peterman and Cherilus are more promising run blockers. The improvement may take some time to develop, but the Lions’ running backs should have a little more consistency in front of them than in past years.

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The Lions had several leads late in games last season — or opportunities to score touchdowns — and settled for field goals instead because they couldn’t pick up tough yardage. Leshoure and Bell are expected to carry the mantle late in games and in short yardage, so they will have a very important role in the ground game, despite all the focus on Bush.

Will the Lions be better on the ground than last season? I think so, mostly because it’s going to be hard to be worse. They have a solid group of backs who all have defined roles on the team, but injuries are always an issue for running backs, and the top two guys on the depth chart have had injury troubles in their careers. Overall, the Lions should see improvement from Bush’s big-play ability, an additional year’s recovery time for Leshoure and the development of Bell. Owens will offer more than Kevin Smith as a fullback/running back/special teams combo. On paper, in June, the Lions look to be a lot better off than a year ago in the backfield. Maybe the position can finally become a strength again.